Published
November 4th, 2010 by
Roslyn Garavaglia The change is intended to make finding businesses easier.
Old Landscape
- AdWords Sponsored Links highlighted at the top and in the right side column.
- Local results in a pack of 7 ( placement could differ).
- Local search results distinct from organic results
New Landscape
The map in top position in the right column, pushing down Adwords ads.- The 7 pack is elimated and local reults integrate with organic results.
- Images and Reviews included with local results
I think the implications of this change are huge!
From a user perspective: Google is providing a much better user experience.
From a small business perspective: the changes will get rid of businesses who tried to spam the old Google Local/Google Places listings with fake information and it’ll eliminate those no longer in business. More room for you.
Expect pay-to-place at some stage, Google is already beta testing – See Google Boost – pay for ads in Google Places.
One thing is certain, achieving a page one listing in Google is tougher! AdWords (sponsored links/Ads), SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and Google Places has just become even more competitive and you will need to maintain a strong presence in all aspects of the web to succeed online.
Have you claimed your Google Place? 
Click on the Google places logo below and check if your business is listed.
Tags: google local seach, local search, places search.google places
